A Collaborative Law Enforcement Training at the NYPD Medical Services Division: Advancing Ethical Leadership, Morale, Resiliency, and Suicide Prevention

Note: This article is posted on the author’s personal website for reference. It highlights a collaborative law enforcement training event and ongoing initiatives in leadership, morale, resiliency, and suicide prevention. The content is being developed as an exclusive submission for a law enforcement professional outlet. Photos and text illustrate the session and participating personnel.

Introduction

For the past two years, Dr. Stephen Wakschal, PhD, and Vincent J. Bove have collaborated to deliver impactful trainings on ethical leadership, morale, officer resiliency, and suicide prevention for law enforcement professionals. 

On December 19, 2025, they continued this important work at the NYPD Medical Services Division, bringing together officers, peer support teams, and mental health professionals to explore practical strategies for safeguarding the well-being of those who serve and protect.

This article highlights the session, the collaborative approach, and lessons learned that can be applied across police departments nationwide.

A Collaborative Law Enforcement Training at the NYPD Medical Services Division: Advancing Ethical Leadership, Resiliency, and Suicide Prevention

On December 19, 2025, a collaborative law enforcement training was conducted at the NYPD Medical Services Division, bringing together clinical expertise and leadership-based engagement to address one of the most urgent challenges facing policing today: officer suicide and emotional resilience.

The training was led by Dr. Stephen Wakschal, PhD, founder and lead instructor of the ConQueR Suicide Awareness and Intervention Program, with Vincent J. Bove, CPP, serving as a guest speaker. Together, the presentation integrated evidence-based suicide prevention instruction with ethical leadership and morale-centered insights, offering participants both practical tools and deeper reflection.

A Multidisciplinary and Interagency Audience

Attendees included members of the NYPD Medical Services Division, Peer Support Professionals, the NYPD Cadet Corps, representatives from the Nassau and Suffolk County Police Departments, sworn law enforcement officers and civilian personnel, mental health professionals and psychologists, as well as partners from organizations such as the Warrior Ranch Foundation and Water Gap Wellness.

The diversity of the audience reflected a growing understanding that suicide prevention in law enforcement is not solely a clinical concern, but a shared responsibility across leadership, peer support, and professional disciplines.

Clinical Leadership: The ConQueR Suicide Program

The core of the training was delivered by Dr. Wakschal, whose more than 40 years of experience in suicidology and law enforcement trauma shaped the depth and credibility of the session.

The ConQueR Suicide Awareness and Intervention Program—an acronym for Connect, Question, Respond—is designed specifically for law enforcement professionals and emphasizes individual responsibility alongside departmental support.

The program:

• Encourages a shift from exclusive reliance on departmental interventions to individual responsibility

• Explores statistical and occupational risk factors associated with law enforcement

• Examines genetic, developmental, anthropological, and environmental contributors to what Dr. Wakschal describes as the “Six Pillars of Police Suicide”

• Debunks common myths surrounding suicide

• Identifies both obvious and subtle warning signs

• Addresses observational failures that often precede suicide

• Teaches active listening and direct questioning about suicide

• Provides practical response options and opportunities to practice newly acquired skills

Dr. Wakschal’s instruction drew upon decades of professional experience, including extensive post–9/11 work debriefing NYPD officers, his role as a NYS Trooper PBA Surgeon, and his private clinical practice specializing in suicide risk assessment and treatment planning.

Leadership, Morale, and the Human Dimension

Complementing the clinical framework, Vincent J. Bove offered leadership reflections rooted in decades of experience working with law enforcement and first responders nationwide. His contribution focused on the human and ethical dimensions of resilience, emphasizing that suicide prevention cannot be separated from morale, meaning, and identity.

Drawing on concepts developed in prior published work, Bove explored:

• Operation Resiliency, framing resilience as a daily discipline rather than a crisis response

• The Wounded Protector, acknowledging that those who protect others frequently carry unseen burdens

• The symbolism of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, reflecting anonymity, sacrifice, and service

• Insights influenced by the work of Dr. Viktor Frankl and Dr. Conrad Baars, emphasizing meaning, affirmation, and moral grounding in high-stress professions

These reflections were offered not as clinical instruction, but as leadership reinforcement, designed to complement and support Dr. Wakschal’s evidence-based training.

A History of Collaboration and Trust

This training reflects an ongoing collaboration between Dr. Wakschal and Bove spanning several years and multiple agencies.

On November 29, 2024, Bove was privileged to deliver his first official presentation following his appointment as NYPD Honorary Law Enforcement Motivational Speaker. 

Titled NYPD Employee Assistance Unit: Leading Through a National Crisis ©, the presentation was held at the state-of-the-art NYPD Police Academy in Queens, New York. That initial engagement helped establish a leadership-focused framework for addressing officer morale, ethical decision-making, and emotional resilience—principles that continue to inform subsequent collaborations.

An additional joint presentation was as follows:

• Leading Through a National Crisis: Empowering MTAPD Peer Support Professionals (March 28, 2025)

Together, these engagements reinforce the value of integrating clinical suicide prevention with ethical leadership development, rather than treating them as separate efforts.

Leadership That Enables Collaboration

Special recognition is due to Peter Pallos of ConQueR Suicide, who also serves as Secretary of the NYPD Police Self Support Group. His leadership and commitment to officer wellness have played an important role in fostering partnerships that bridge clinical practice, peer support, and principled leadership engagement.

Professional Reception and Measured Impact

Written and verbal feedback from participants reflected strong appreciation for the collaborative format, noting that the integration of clinical instruction with leadership perspective made the session both impactful and memorable. 

The multidisciplinary nature of the audience reinforced the importance of shared responsibility across ranks, roles, and professions.

Moving Forward

As law enforcement agencies nationwide confront rising mental health challenges, this collaborative model offers a replicable framework:

• Clinically grounded

• Leadership-informed

• Human-centered

• Professionally respectful

Suicide prevention cannot rest solely on policy or training mandates. It must also be sustained by ethical leadership, peer responsibility, and a culture that recognizes the humanity of those who serve.

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About the Author

Vincent J. Bove is the NYPD Honorary Law Enforcement Motivational Speaker, a national speaker, author, and recognized authority on policing issues. 

Bove is the recipient of the FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award and the author of Listen to Their Cries and Reawakening America, focusing on ethical leadership, violence prevention, and crisis planning. 

His decades of work with law enforcement and first responders provide a unique perspective on how leadership, morale, and human-centered approaches intersect with the imperatives of 21st Century Policing.

Photo Caption 1: Attendees at the December 19, 2025, collaborative training at the NYPD Medical Services Division, including officers, peer support professionals, and mental health specialists participating in the session led by Dr. Stephen Wakschal, PhD with Vincent J. Bove as a guest speaker.

Photo Caption 2: Vincent J. Bove and Dr. Stephen Wakschal, PhD, at the NYPD Police Self Support Group Gala at Russo’s on the Bay, Howard Beach, Queens, May 22, 2025, honoring the dedication and service of the PSSG.

Photo Caption 3: Deputy Inspector Peter Hatzoglou, NYPD Medical Division Executive Officer (left), Vincent J. Bove (center), and Lt. Pamela Candia, NYPD Medical Division (right), during the collaborative training at the NYPD Medical Services Division, December 19, 2025.